Communiqué from the Council of the Government - Communication

The Council of the Government, which met on May 28, 2026, in Ponta Delgada, decided to adopt the following measures:

1.  Approve the Autonomous Region of the Azores taking out a loan of up to €335,500,000.00.

Article 27 of the Regional Budget for 2026 provides for a refinancing operation amounting to €335.5 million.

The Resolution approved today enables this financing to be secured.

It should be noted that this does not constitute any new borrowing, but rather a mere refinancing operation.

With net debt at zero in 2026 and no conversion of commercial debt into financial debt, this operation has no impact on the overall level of public debt.

The Government of the Azores notes that this operation will be carried out in the financial markets, not with the National Government, given that these markets have consistently demonstrated their willingness to secure financing for the Region.

2.  Approve the Resolution aimed at continuing, for the 2026 financial year, the Market Access Support Programme, established by Government Council Resolution no. 117/2023 of July 14. It seeks to mitigate the costs arising from remoteness and to promote competitiveness and the distribution of regional production, setting a maximum budget limit of € 7,000,000.00 for the financial support to be granted.

The Market Access Support Programme in 2026 promotes better conditions for placing regional products on the market.

The Government of the Azores thus reiterates its commitment to the competitiveness of Azorean businesses and the mitigation of the impacts of remoteness on the regional economy.

3.  Approve the Regional Implementing Decree aimed at regulating the rules applicable to the use and management of the property assets of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

Following the Regional Legislative Decree no. 5/2026/A of February 20, the Government of the Azores is regulating its implementation with a view to the management and optimisation of the Region’s property assets.

The Public Asset Portal will be made available to the public. It is expected to be launched shortly after the publication of this decree and will gradually incorporate all information and georeferencing data for properties owned by the Region.

This decree also provides for the creation of an asset manager for each Government department, which will be responsible for keeping the respective entity’s inventory up to date.

4.  Approve the Regional Implementing Decree aimed at adopting the management model for the movable assets of the Autonomous Region of the Azores concerning vehicles subject to registration.

This decree regulates the integrated management of the movable assets of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, with a view to optimising their use, renewal, environmental sustainability and potential for shared management.

5.  Approve the Resolution authorising the expenditure and the launch of a public tender, divided into lots, with international advertising, for the procurement of digital textbooks and related goods for students enrolled in the school establishments within the regional education system in 2026, at a base price of €4,926,899.97, plus VAT at the legal rate in force.

6.  Authorise the granting of a guarantee for €7.3 million to Lotaçor - Serviço de Lotas dos Açores, S.A.

This amount is primarily intended for the company’s refinancing and investment.

7.  Approve the draft Regional Legislative Decree aimed at approving the multi-annual budget programming framework for the 2027-2030 period.

8.  Approve the Resolution authorising the signing of a cooperation investment value contract between the Autonomous Region of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Health and Social Security of the Regional Government, and the Ribeirinha Social and Parish Centre. It provides for a financial contribution of up to €1,841,220.00 to secure the necessary funding for the construction of the Day Centre of the Ribeirinha Social and Parish Centre in the parish of Ribeirinha, municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island.

9.  Approve the Resolution declaring, as a matter of urgency, the public utility of the compulsory purchase of a land plot and the rights thereto, required for the implementation of the project “Improvement of accessibility, mobility and road safety – Link between Via Vitorino Nemésio and Angra Ring Road, on Terceira Island.”

10.  Approve the Resolution authorising the expenditure and the launch of an international public tender with a view to signing a contract for the ongoing supply of fuel to the Regional Directorate for Public Works and Island Services of the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures for three years, 2026–2029, with a base price of €2,061,084.48 and a three-year term.

11.  Approve the Resolution authorising the awarding, through the launch of a public tender, of a concession contract for the exclusive use of the bar at the Mountain House on the island of Pico, and the installation and operation of vending machines, for a three-year term.

12.  Approve the Resolution extending the term of office of the Implementation Structure for the Transport Plan for the Azores (EIPTA), under the terms and conditions established by Government Council Resolution no. 88/2023 of June 7.